1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a remote start-up control apparatus, and a start-up control apparatus, and more specifically, relates to a remote start-up control apparatus for being equipped in a vehicle having a immobilizer function, and a start-up control apparatus having the immobilizer function.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, vehicles which are equipped with an anti-theft function called as an immobilizer have been increasing. In order to realize the immobilizer function (for use in an engine), as shown in FIG. 28, required are an ignition key 1 in which a certain specific key code is stored and which incorporates in a grip part 2, a transponder 3 having a transmission function, a key cylinder 4, an immobilizer amplifier 5 attached to the key cylinder 4 for extracting a key code from the ignition key 1, an immobilizer unit 6 for storing a certain specific key code and having a function as anti-theft, and an engine control unit 7 for carrying out control of an engine start-up and so on.
It is designed such that, when the ignition key 1 is inserted into the key cylinder 4 by a driver, a key insertion signal is turned in a High state, and the immobilizer unit 6 which received this transmits a pulse-shaped activation signal through a signal line L1 to the immobilizer amplifier 5. FIG. 29 shows a timing chart from time when the ignition key 1 is inserted into the key cylinder 4 until time when an enabling signal is outputted to the engine control unit 7.
In addition, as to the immobilizer unit 6, there is also a case of transmitting the activation signal, not in case of having received the key insertion signal (High state), but in case of having received an ACC signal which is turned in a High state when the ignition key 1 was turned to an ACC output position, or in case of having received an IG signal which is turned in a High state when the ignition key 1 was turned to an IG output position.
The immobilizer amplifier 5 is designed to, when it receives the activation signal, supply electric power by electromagnetic induction, and to have the transponder 3 of the ignition key 1 which has been inserted into the key cylinder 4 activated, and thereby, to extract a key code (which is specific to the ignition key 1) which is stored in the transponder 3, and to output the extracted key code, together with a clock signal, through a signal line L2 to the immobilizer unit 6.
The immobilizer unit 6 judges whether or not the key code (which is specific to the ignition key 1) which was transmitted from the immobilizer amplifier 5 is in conformity with a key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6 (verification of a key code), and when it judges that these key codes are in conformity with each other, it gives an enabling signal for enabling the engine start-up, to the engine control unit 7, counting a driver who inserted the ignition key 1 into the key cylinder 4 as a qualified driver. In passing, in case that the key code which was sent from the immobilizer amplifier 5 is not in conformity with the key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6, the activation signal is designed to be sent again from the immobilizer unit 6 to the immobilizer amplifier 5 (which is repeated approximately 100 times at most, with respect to approximately each 100 millisecond).
Also, the engine control unit 7 is designed to carry out start-up control of a starter motor 8, when it receives a starter signal which is outputted from the key cylinder 4, after it received the enabling signal, and adversely, is designed not to carry out the start-up control-of the starter motor 8, in case that it received the starter signal, under such a state that it does not receive the enabling signal.
In this manner, if the key code which has been stored in the transponder 3 of the ignition key 1 is not in conformity with the key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6, it is not possible to realize the engine start-up. On that account, it is not possible to have the engine started, by a illegal direct connection of the ignition key and the ignition switch, so that it is possible to prevent vehicle theft.
On the other hand, a remote start-up control apparatus for starting an engine and so on is in practical use. As shown in FIG. 30, a remote start-up control apparatus 18 is designed to, when it receives a signal (to which an ID code proper for a portable transmitter 19) for instructing the engine start-up from the portable transmitter 19 which a driver takes along, carry out judgment of whether or not the received signal is one from a qualified portable transmitter 19, and after that, to supply a pseudo signal which corresponds to the ACC signal, the IG signal, and the starter signal which are outputted in case that the qualified ignition key 11 was turned to a starter output position, to a signal line L3, and to transmit these pseudo signals to an engine control unit 17.
By this, even if there occurs no such a situation that the ignition key 11 is inserted into the key cylinder 14 and turned, if a signal for instructing the engine start-up is simply sent from the portable transmitter 19, it is possible to start the engine. In passing, as to judgment of whether or not the received signal is one from the qualified portable transmitter 19, it is possible to realize it by registering the ID code which is specific to the qualified portable transmitter 19.
In the meantime, in case that the above-described remote start-up control apparatus 18 is additionally equipped in a vehicle having the immobilizer function, as shown in FIG. 28, since there is a necessity of realizing conformity of the key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6, i.e., necessity of inserting the qualified ignition key 1 into the key cylinder 4, there was such a problem that, even if the pseudo signal (pseudo signals of the ACC signal, the IG signal and the starter signal) is given to the engine control unit 7, it is not possible to start the engine.
AS one for solving the suchlike problem, as shown in FIG. 31, there is such an invention that a key code, which is in conformity with the key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6, is registered in a remote start-up control apparatus 28, and when it receives an instruction of the engine start-up by an remote operation, the key code is made to be sent from the remote start-up control apparatus 28 to the immobilizer unit 6, and the enabling signal is given from the immobilizer unit 6 to the engine control unit 7 (e.g., see, JP-A-10-176642).
However, in an invention which was described in Patent Document 1, there is such a risk that a burglar knows a key code (i.e., a key code which is in conformity with the key code which has been stored in the immobilizer unit 6) which can permit the engine start up, when a vehicle is invaded by a burglar, and data, which has been stored in the remote start-up control apparatus 28, is analyzed.
When the key code was known, there is such a problem that it is possible to make a duplicate of the ignition key in which the key code was stored (i.e., qualified ignition key), and vehicle theft is easily realized.
In this manner, when the remote start-up control apparatus 28 in which the key code was stored is mounted on a vehicle, an analysis of the key code becomes relatively easy, but in contrast to this, if the remote start-up control apparatus 28 in which the key code was stored is not mounted on a vehicle, the analysis of the key code never be so easy. This is because the key code is also registered in the immobilizer unit 6, but the immobilizer unit 6 is not configured so as to output the key code to outside, like the remote start-up control apparatus 28 (the remote start-up control apparatus 28 is configured so as to output the key code to the immobilizer unit 6).
Also, the ignition key in which the key code was stored is, like the remote start-up control apparatus 28, configured so as to output the key code to outside, but the ignition key 1 is not one which is mounted on a vehicle, like the remote start-up control apparatus 28, but one which a driver takes along, and therefore, even if a vehicle is invaded by a burglar, there is no case that the key code is not analyzed from the ignition key.
In the meantime, among remote start-up control apparatus, there is one in which a plurality of ID codes can be registered. On that account, to the remote start-up control apparatus, it is possible to set a plurality of portable transmitters which can instruct the engine start-up. In passing, in many cases, registration of ID codes is carried out, when a mode is switched from a normal operation mode to a program mode for registering the ID code and the program mode is set.
Thus, if there is a vacant area for registering the ID code, or rewriting of the ID code (so-called, overwriting) is possible, it is possible to newly register another ID code in the remote start-up control apparatus, and it is possible to instruct the engine start-up by a portable transmitter which corresponds to the ID code which was newly registered.
In this manner, if it is possible to register the ID code additionally (i.e., it is possible to increase the number of portable transmitters which enables a remote operation of the engine start-up), it becomes very convenient, when the same vehicle is utilized by a plurality of persons such as family members, coworkers at the office and so on.
However, on the other side, such a fact that it is possible to register the ID code additionally has such a risk that it becomes possible to carry out a remote operation of the engine start-up and so on, by use of a portable transmitter which a person other than a qualified user has. For example, when an additional registration of the ID code is carried out, it becomes possible to carry out a remote operation of the engine start-up and so on, by a portable transmitter which a burglar has.